Camouflage material



March 6, 1945. w. E. JOST CAMOUILAGB MATER IAL Filed July 2B, 1942 IAVENTOR. jff. 4. Wam/Q0 i.' :22957;

TTORNEY5.

Patented Mar. 6, 1945 CAMOUFLAGE MATERIAL -Wiltord E. Jost, San Marino, Calif.. suignor to Mario 8. Lopes, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 28, 1942, Serial No. 458.570

(Cl. i1-10) a l Claims.

This invention relates to' a camouflage material.

Heretofore, in camouflaging heavy artillery. ammunition dumps, and the like, it has been common practice to stretch chicken wire over the top of the artillery or other ordnance that it is desired to conceal and garnish the chicken wire with the leaves, branches. and other material to simulate the appearance of vegetation in the vicinity. An objection to such type oi camounage is that considerable time and labor is lnvolved in garnishing the'stretched chicken wire.

An object of the present invention is to provide s. cheap, simple, camouflage material that may be employed in place of the garnished chicken wire which has the advantages that it may be easily packed and shipped in rolls, that it is adequately strong in tensile strength to en able long spans ot it to be stretched taut between widely separated points. and that it in eiTect provides its own garnishment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims. reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention. wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating one form of camouflage material embodying the present invention:

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a portion oi' another form of camouflage material embodying the present invention; and

Figs, 3 and 4 are plan views of portions oi still other forms of camouflage material embodying the present invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar part.: throughout, it will be understood that the thickness and size of the parts illustrated are somewhat exaggerated for purposes of clarity. ln tho form illustrated in Fig. l there un` upper nnd lower or opposed layers of shoot material indicated at Ill and il. 'l'hc sheet ma tcrlal employed is preferably a waierprooicd cheap paper although the waterproofing is not essential. An ordinary heavy kraft paper may be employed il desired, The paper lsoi suitable width, a typical width being approximately three feet and the material is of an indefinite length usually being shipped and packed in the form of rolls. An adhesive l2 bonds the two sheets iogetber. The adhesive employed should be such that it will not harden but should retain a sumcient degree of flexibility so that it will not crack on bending the material. interposed between the two sheets i0 and Il at spaced intervals are longitudinally extending annealed iron wires it. These iron wires ars intended to reinforce the laminated sheet material particularly with respect to its tensile strength. Also, if the laminated sheet is bent in any desired configuration the wires will, when bent, remain in the bent position. Either or both of the exposed sur- :aces of the laminated sheet may have painted or printed thereon suitable designs indicated at Il, the cilect of which is to give an appearance simulating vegetation in the vicinity. Any other type of camouflage design may be imprinted thereon if desired.

In the use of the material it may be stretched in parallel, contiguous spans between supports to cover and thus conceal various items of ordnance. Relatively long spans are possible as I iind that the tensile strength of the laminated sheet thus reinforced by the wires is considerably greater than the mere added strengths of the wires and the paper.

In Fig. 2 an alternative form of construction is disclosed wherein there are upper and lower or opposed sheets of paper i5 and I8 having the longitudinally extending annealed wires il disposed therebetween and bonded together by the adhesive i8 which may be asphaltum. Portions i9 are partially severed from the body of the laminated sheet remaining attached thereto along fold lines 20.. These portions in this form are disposed between the longitudinally extending wires l1, and are preferably cut or stamped out in a form simulating a leaf. When the laminated sheet is stretched between two spaced supports, these portions Il fall down by gravity so as to be suspended from the body of the sheet. Thus the camouflage material possesses not only adequate tensile strength to enable the desired spons to be erected, but the portions Il hanging downwardly therefrom. in effect, provide the garnishment on tho sheet material. Either or both of tho exposed surfaces of tho sheet matorinl may be painted or printed with suitable designs 1i.

1n Fig. li stili another form of camouflage material is disclosed wherein there are the opposed layers of sheet material having the annealed wires 22 interposed therebetween, the upper and lower sheets ol paper or equivalent sheet material are bonded together by an adhesive such as asphaltum. In this form of construction however the portions Il :hat are partially stamped from the laminated sheet remaining attached thereto by a fold line instead of being positioned between the wires as in Fig. 2 are so positioned as to straddle the wires 22. Consequently, portions of the wires will extend longitudinally through the portions 13. In this form of construction it is necessary to positively bend or fold the portions 1I laterally with respect to the plane oi the sheet. Some of these portions which may simulate leaves and configuration can be bent downwardly from the piane of a horizontal sheet and other portions may be bent upwardly therefrom. When so bent, the annealed wires tend to cause the portions 1l to remain in the bont position. i

In Fig. 4 still another form of camouflage mnterial is disclosed wherein there is a laminated sheet 2l made up of opposed layers of paper bonded together by an adhesive, such as asphalturn. and having the annealed wires i8 interposed therebetween. In this form of construction ths portions 21 which are partially severed from the laminated sheet and which simulate leaves straddle certain oi' the wires 2B so as to have portions of the wires extending therethrough. The portions 21 are similar to the portions Il in that when once bent laterally from the plane of the sheet they will tend to remain in the bent position. Intermediate wires 2l are not straddled or cut butcxtend continuously through the laminated sheet trom end to end thereof so ns to assist in carrying the tensile stress to which the material may be subjected in erecting long spans.

In both of the forms illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4; the exposed surfaces of the sheets may have designs painted or printed thereon.

In all forms of construction the material can be readily wound in rolls to facilitate packing and shipping and where it is desired to conceal an item of ordnance the material can be quickly unwound from the rolls and stretched in spans over the obiect or objects that it is desired to conceal. Inssmucli as the material provides its own garnishment, namely the portions I 9, 23, and 21, it is merely necessary to erect the spans and bend the portions 23 and 21 from the plane of the sheet in those instances where the wires crtend through these portions. Where the wire;- no .not extend through the partially severed port ons i9 these portions tend to fall by gravity into the desired position.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that a novel, simple, and inexpensive camouflage material is provided that Can b willy shipped to the desired location and readily set up over the objects that it is desired to conceal. When suspended in spans it give! Bn IP' pearance simulating other vegetation such as trees in the vicinity.

In manufacturing the camouiiaae material two ribbons or webs of paper are brought together between opposed rolls, the adhesive beim fed therebetween and the wires also being fed between the paper. In some forms of construction itis desirable to have s reinforcing wire run back and forth between the top and bottom sections of the sheet material. This can be readily accomplished by` feeding such a wire from a transversely reciprooable shuttle leaving a wire embedded in the material between the sheets of paper as illustrated at Il on rig. l. It will be understood however that such a wire could be incorporated in the constructions illustrated i; Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and that normally its use is optional.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A camouflage material comprising two sheets oi paper or the like bonded together and having wire reinforcements interposed therebetween. there being portions of the sheets partially severed therefrom containing portions of the rcinforcements so as to be bendabie from the planes of the sheets. the reinforcements within said portions serving to maintain the portions in bent positions.

2. A camouflage material comprising two sheets of paper or the like bonded together and having wire reinforcements interposed therebetween, there being portions of the sheets partially severed therefrom containing portions ot some re' 'forcements and other portions of the sheet being disposed between reinforcements, said portions being bendabie from the planes of the sheets.

3. A camouflage material comprising a flexible sheet material having bcndable reinforcements adapted when bent to remain in bent position. there being portions of the sheet straddling the reinforcements which are partially severed from the sheet, said portions being adapted to be bent laterally from the plane of the sheet and when bent to be held by the reinforcement in laterally bent position.

WILFORD E. JOBT. 

